Puzzle.



G. W. NAYLOE.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED 11017.17, 1909. RENEWED OOT.18,1910.

993,456. Patented May 30, 1911.

WITNESSES IIVVENTOR $029M Q W W TTNTTED ST FATE GEORGE W. NAYLOR, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NUR OF TWO-THIRDS TO EDWARD F. KOPETSCHNY AND JOHN P. GERAGHTY, 01" JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

Application filed. November 17, 1909, Serial No. 528,608. Renewed October 18, 1910. Serial No. 587,743.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon W. NAYLoR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Puzzle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relatesto certain improvements in puzzles, and more particularly to that type in which there is provided a container having a movable member therein and a transparent wall through which the movable member may be seen, the object of inventions of this character being to place the movable part in some desired position by a movement of the container itself.

In my improved puzzle I provide a plurality of communicating compartments, the means for communication being a perforated tube extending through all of the compartments. The tube being spaced from the side wall of each compartment and having its perforations midway between the ends of the compartments, the movable bodies can be caused to enter the tube only by a shaking or a sudden movement of the container, and while attempting to make any one body enter the corresponding aperture, other bodies will be caused to enter or leave other apertures unless extreme skill be observed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my improved puzzle; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the same; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

I may construct my improved puzzle in various different ways and formed in various shapes and sizes. The form illustrated in the accompanying drawings constitutes only one embodiment or form which my invention may assume. In this form, the puzzle is substantially cylindrical in shape and includes a central tube 6, concentric within an outer transparent shell 6. The tube is provided with a plurality of radiating flanges c, which extend outwardly toward the shell and preferably engage with the latter to subdivide the annular chamber a into a plurality of separate compartments.

End walls 2' also close the ends of the central tube 6 and also close the ends of the outer shell Z). These ends may be sealed to the outer shell, so as to prevent the parts from becoming accidentally separated or the tube from becoming displaced. In the specific form shown there are four of the flanges or partitions c, and these subdivide the annular chamber into two end compartments (Z, d, a center compartment 72. and two compartments h, it between this center compartment and the two end ones. The tube 6, which extends through all of the com partments and engages with the end walls 2', is provided with a plurality of apertures, so that the interior of the tube communicates with all of the compartments. The openings may be placed in various different positions, but preferably there are two openings f, f on the same side of the tube and within the two end compartments (Z, d. Two openings F, f are on the opposite side of the tube and within the compartments h, h, and the opening f is slightly out of line with the two openings 7, f and within the center compartment. The movable bodies are preferably small balls 9, and there are as many of these balls as there are compartments.

The object of the game may vary according to the desire or inclination of the person using the same. F or instance, it may be considered the object to place one ball in each compartment, which is comparatively easy, or it may be considered the object to place all of the balls in the center compartment. With the openings in the positions indicated, it is found that as soon as the container is shaken or given a sudden movement to make one of the balls roll up the inner surface of the outer shell and drop into one of the openings, it will travel along the tube and pass out through one of the other openings and not go into the desired compartment. The apertures f and f being approximately but not exactly in line, they will allow the balls to pass the aperture f and enter the aperture f, if the tube be held in exactly the right position. Furthermore, in attempting to eject the balls from the compartments h, 71., balls previously accumulated in the center compartment 72. will also be ejected, unless considerable skill be exercised. It will therefore be seen that it is quite difiicult to collect all of the balls with in the center compartment, unless the person follow a definite course of procedure.

It is found comparatively easy to place all of the balls in the center compartment by first gathering all of them in one of the end compartments, and then by holding the container substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3, the balls may be caused to swing upwardly and enter the opening f and travel lengthwise of the tube past the opening and drop into the center compartment. Starting with all of the balls in one end compartment and holding the container at such an angle that the balls will not drop through the opening 7, the desired object may be gained in a comparatively short time. It is of course evident that the particular number of compartments shown is not essential to my invention, nor are the details of construction of the shell, tube and partitions.

Various changes may be made in the construction within the scope of the appended claims, and without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A puzzle, including an inclosure having a transparent wall, means subdividing the inclosure into a plurality of separate compartments, a perforated tube communieating with all of said compartments, and a movable member therein.

2. A puzzle, comprising a container having a transparent wall, a tube extending lengthwise of the container, means encircling the tube for subdividing the container into a plurality of compartments, said tube having apertures communicating with the several compartments, and a mem ber therein movable through said apertures.

3. A puzzle, consisting of a tube, a plurality of radial flanges carried thereby, an outer transparent shell secured to said flanges and forming therewith a plurality of compartments, said tube having apertures along its length out of alinement with each other and communicating with the compartments, and a plurality of balls within said compartments, and movable from one to another through said tube.

4. A puzzle having an annular transparent outer shell, a plurality of partitions therein forming therewith a plurality of separate compartments, each of said partitions having a central aperture, a tube extending through said apertures and having openings communicating with said compartments, whereby one compartment may communicate with the next, and a plurality of movable members within said compartments and movable through said openings.

5. A puzzle, comprising a cylindrical transparent shell, walls closing the ends thereof, a tube extending from one end wall to the other and concentric with the shell, and having a plurality of apertures, whereby the annular space between the tube and shell communicates with the interior of the tube, a plurality of radial flanges carried by said tube and subdividing said annular space into a plurality of annular compartments, and a plurality of balls within said annular space and movable from one compartment to another through said apertures and said tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. WV. NAYLOR. Witnesses F. D. SWEET, JOHN BEResTnoM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

